Ruby(Red 2) JC [Revised]

1: A Perfect Dream

"Congratulations,Jeonghan."

She handed the bouquet to him. Jeonghan found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the woman standing before him. She exuded a confidence and allure that was starkly different from the gentle innocence he associated with Aerum. As she offered her congratulations and handed him the bouquet, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension mixed with curiosity.

"You... you look..." He struggled to find the right words, his mind reeling with the contrast between the woman in front of him and his image of Aerum. "Very different."

Aerum's smile remained fixed, but there was a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes as she caught his hesitation. "In a bad way or in a good way?" she teased, her tone laced with playful intrigue.

Jeonghan hesitated, torn between honesty and diplomacy. "Both," he admitted finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Aerum's chuckle was like music to his ears, soothing the tension that had begun to build in the air. "Well, I suppose change can be polarizing," she mused, her gaze lingering on him with a mixture of fondness and something he couldn't quite decipher.

As she spoke, Jeonghan couldn't shake the feeling of being caught in a whirlwind of emotions. He realized that perhaps it wasn't just Aerum's appearance that had changed, but something deeper, something that stirred within him as he stood face to face with this new version of the woman he thought he knew so well.

Jeonghan stood frozen, caught between his loyalty to his husband and the tumult of emotions stirred up by Aerum's unexpected appearance and words. Seungcheol's exuberant embrace of Aerum seemed to freeze in the air as she remained unmoved, her indifference palpable.

"Congratulations on your wedding," Aerum's words rang hollow in the space between them, lacking the warmth and sincerity Jeonghan had come to expect from her. His heart sank as he watched the exchange unfold, the tension thickening with each passing moment.

Seungcheol's hurt was palpable as he questioned Aerum's reluctance to embrace their familial bond. "Don't you call me your brother now?" he asked, his voice tinged with disappointment.

Aerum's response cut through the air like a knife, her words sharp and unforgiving. "I don't have any brother now," she stated bluntly, her tone devoid of the affection Jeonghan had once known so well. "I'm not that old Aerum either. I'm just here to see you and your husband."

Jeonghan felt a pang of guilt tug at his heart, knowing that their relationship had irrevocably changed, leaving behind a trail of unresolved tension and unspoken words. As Aerum turned to leave, her parting words hung in the air like a haunting melody, leaving Jeonghan and Seungcheol to grapple with their implications.

But just as Aerum reached the exit, she paused, her gaze lingering on Seungcheol with a mixture of regret and resignation. "Jeonghan... he's a little oblivious and stubborn," she began, her voice softening with a hint of warmth. "But he loves with his whole heart. He loves strong and wild and passionate."

A bittersweet smile played on Aerum's lips as she spoke, her words carrying a weight of finality that left Jeonghan and Seungcheol reeling in their wake. With one last glance, she disappeared into the crowd, leaving behind a sense of longing and regret that lingered in the air long after she was gone.

Seungcheol stood there, still reeling from the encounter with Aerum, his mind swirling with a mix of confusion and guilt. Joshua's panicked inquiry snapped him back to the present, the concern evident in his friend's worried expression.

"Jeonghan said Aerum came, what did she tell you?" Joshua's voice trembled with apprehension, his eyes searching Seungcheol's pale face for answers.

Seungcheol took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he recounted the brief but impactful exchange with Aerum. "She changed so much, Shua," he began, his voice tinged with sorrow. "She just said that Jeonghan really loves me and then left."